WOLVERHAMPTON has launched an appeal to provide an Atlantic 21 ILB complete with launching tractor, trailer, boathouse, slipway and all operational equipment at Abersoch, North Wales, where many Wolverhampton people, on holiday, take to the sea. The target is £30,000 by mid 1977, and already £5,000 has been raised; that figure includes a donation of £500 from a resident of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. An appeal has been made to industry, the professions, clubs and institutions and among early fundraising events were a nearly new shop and an exhibition of RNLI paintings at Wolverhampton Art Gallery.

* * * The Central London committee is holding an auction of antiques and works of art on May 25 at Bonham's Galleries. Pictures, jewellery, silver, glass, porcelain and particularly any naval or marine objects, for a special marine section, will be gratefully received. Articles must be of reasonable quality and an estimate of their value would be useful. Anybody with a suitable item should contact Rosalind Smalley, RNLI, 21 Ebury Street, London SW1 WOLD (Tel.: 01-730 0033).

Admission to the auction is limited; viewing, May 24 and 25.

* * * Captain John Schumacher retired from the German Lifesaving Association on October 1, 1976, after 43 years of active service. He has brought much original thought to the development of lifeboats and at meetings of the International Lifeboat Conference, at which he was regularly a delegate from 1955, his counsel was much valued. He visited RNLI HQ at Poole last Autumn. The RNLI wishes an old friend a long and happy retirement.

* * * Blyth 150th anniversary vellum was presented to the honorary secretary, Dr R. Carr, by P. Denham Christie, a member of the Committee of Management, at a commemorative dinner on September 16. Dr Carr handed theBoys of Douglas High School studied the lifeboat service for their Duke of Edinburgh award training. When the Duke visited the Isle of Man last May he met both the boys and their instructor, Coxswain/Mechanic Norman Quillin, Port St Mary. His Royal Highness is seen here with (I. to r.) H.

Taverner, Deputy Headmaster, and A. D.

Maddrell of Douglas High School and Coxswain Quillin.

vellum to the Mayor of Blyth, Councillor Arthur Hancock, who, as president, is an active branch member. It will be hung in the Mayor's Parlour for safe keeping.

On January 27, 1940, Angle lifeboat launched to the help of a Greek steamer, Adamantios J. Pithis, totally wrecked at St Ann's Head. Last October a cheque was received by the RNLI for £100: it was a donation from the underwriters of this ship and represents a proportionof the proceeds of the sale of the remains of the wreck.

* * * For some years, the golf club at Gwbert-on-Sea, Cardigan, which annually holds a competition for lifeboat spoons, has also held a collecting box in the bar. Last year, unfortunately, the clubhouse was burned down. After the fire the secretary, searching through the ruins, found a pile of money amounting to £8 in the ashes of what had been a lifeboat collecting box.

Naturally, Cardigan branch honorary treasurer was delighted to receive this 'hot money'.

Southampton Boat Show, September 13 to 18, got away to a good start on the first day with the presentation by Shaw Taylor to Sir Alec Rose of three cheques: £500 from Cobramold Ltd, to mark the building of the 2,000th Leisure class yacht (Mr Taylor himself owns No. 16), together with £250 from ICI Ltd and £25 from Fibreglass Ltd, who supply Cobramold with raw material.

Overall takings of the RNLI stand, manned throughout by Southampton branch and guild members, amounted to £3,854.75; there were souvenirs, Christmas cards, Melaware provided through Poole guild and a draw with a cruise as first prize. 212 Shoreline members were enrolled during the week, bringing in around £1,500..